Other ABC News Sites

Listen live

Audio 3:46
Victoria gets its first National Surfing Reserve

Stephanie AndersonUpdated
Fri 15 Mar 2013, 3:28 PM AEDT

Four of Phillip Island's beaches have been recognised in what is Victoria's first National Surfing Reserve. Only 25 of Australia's beaches meet the criteria to qualify for reserve status. New South Wales is the only state to recognise its nine surfing reserves under the law. Elsewhere, the declaration is largely symbolic. Victoria's Environment Minister Ryan Smith doesn't see the need for tougher laws around designated beaches, but says he's open to being convinced otherwise.

Transcript

SALLY SARA: Phillip Island is about to become the first national surfing reserve in Victoria.

It's the result of a campaign by passionate surfers who hope declaring the island a reserve will recognise the quality of the beaches and protect them from environmental damage.

But while national surfing reserves in New South Wales are protected by legislation, the declaration in Victoria is largely symbolic, and surfing groups say stronger protections are needed.

Stephanie Anderson reports from Gippsland.

STEPHANIE ANDERSON: Geoff Owens is a life member of the Phillip Island Board Riders Club, and has been surfing the island's breaks since the '70s.

He's seen its popularity grow. But he says some things never change.

GEOFF OWENS: The waves stay the same. Just the crowd comes and goes. And you know, you can still manage to find your little bit of utopia every now and then.

STEPHANIE ANDERSON: Now four of the island's beaches are being recognised in the first national surfing reserve in Victoria.

GEOFF OWENS: You know they're all pretty special and different in their own ways. It gives ownership onto the general public for, you know, the beautiful beaches that we have on Phillip Island.

STEPHANIE ANDERSON: National surfing reserves are beaches recognised for their high quality surf, their natural environment, and the strength of the communities they attract.

Phillip Island is the 18th reserve to be nominated in Australia.

And it's no small achievement considering that of all of Australia's beaches, only 25 meet the criteria to qualify for reserve status.

BRAD FARMER: These 25 gems in the crown are worthy of, well, you know, protection, like Ayers Rock is for the Aboriginal people, these places like Phillip Island are worthy of recognition and protection for the surfing community of Australia.

STEPHANIE ANDERSON: That's the chair and founder of the national surfing reserves movement, Brad Farmer.

BRAD FARMER: A national surfing reserve is a declaration to the country and to the world that iconic places in Australia are worthy of recognition, the same as a national park is.

STEPHANIE ANDERSON: They might get the same recognition but national surfing reserves don't get the same level of protection as national parks.

New South Wales is the only state to recognise its nine surfing reserves under the law.

Phillip Island might be Victoria's first national surfing reserve but Bells Beach at Torquay was listed as the world's first surfing recreation reserve about 40 years ago.

Richard Bennett from the Surf Riders Foundation says that listing also lacks teeth and he says what this beach and others really need is protection from development

RICHARD BENNETT: Bells Beach Reserve comes under a standard reserve legislation like any other park in an urban area.

STEPHANIE ANDERSON: Do you think that there needs to be extra protection to make sure the beach is looked after?

RICHARD BENNETT: Oh absolutely. The growing numbers of Asian and Indian tourists coming here and what they're really wanting is to experience pristine natural environments. Not development, not cafes on beaches. They're really wanting to have that experience that's so different.

Mr Smith says the national surfing reserve will help increase community awareness, and reinforce the value of conservation.

But he says the Government is willing to look at further protections.

RYAN SMITH: We have some good environmental controls around protection of the beaches, but any additional legislation I'd be happy to take feedback from the community and respond accordingly.

STEPHANIE ANDERSON: The Phillip Island Board Riders Club is happy for now.

Geoff Owens says the national surfing reserve may be symbolic, but that does have a power of its own.

GEOFF OWENS: Well I think you know symbolism sometimes is a very big thing. So the status of being a national surfing reserve I think is going to help in the future that people aren't going to be able to just do what they like. There's gotta be, you know, it's a guideline, almost, that this is an iconic place, you know, don't mess with it.